Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF)

Overview

The Riga International Film Festival (RIGA IFF) is Latvia's primary international film festival and a key industry meeting point in the Baltics. The 13th edition runs October 15 to 25, 2026, in Riga, Latvia. The festival's Feature Film Competition is limited to 10 films from the Baltic Sea region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden), the Nordic countries (including Iceland, Norway, and autonomous territories), and Ukraine. The winning director receives the Golden Rooster award and a EUR 5,000 monetary prize from production house Nafta Films. RIGA IFF also runs the RIGA IFF Forum, an industry program with co-production market (Showcase) and test screenings.

The 12th edition (October 16 to 26, 2025) screened 78 competition films across feature, short, and music video categories. The Feature Film Competition was won by The Visitor (Svečias) by Vytautas Katkus, a Lithuanian majority co-production with Norway and Sweden. The jury consisted of French curator Thibaut Bracq, Estonian director Anna Hints, Latvian producer Alise Ģelze, Norwegian producer Gudny Hummelvoll, and Christian Jeune of Cannes' Film Department.

RIGA IFF is a separate organization from the earlier Riga film festival "Arsenals" (1986 to 2012), which was a biennial event founded by Augusts Sukuts during the late Soviet period. Arsenals ended in 2012, and RIGA IFF launched in 2014 as a new annual festival organized by the association "Rīgas Starptautiskais kino festivāls." The two festivals share a city and a commitment to art house cinema but have different organizers, structures, and programming philosophies.

Submission Details

Submissions are accepted via FilmFreeway and the RIGA IFF entry portal.

Feature Film Competition:

• Submission period: March 24 to June 30, 2026
• Free until March 31, 2026
• EUR 10 per entry from April 1 to May 17, 2026
• EUR 15 per entry from May 18, 2026
• Films must be completed on or after July 1, 2025
• Minimum runtime: 60 minutes
• Majority of production financing must come from Baltic Sea region countries, Nordic countries, or Ukraine
• No genre restrictions: documentary, fiction, animation, and hybrid works are all eligible
• Films must not have been screened in Latvia prior to RIGA IFF 2026 (exception: Latvian co-productions, where a national premiere is preferred but not mandatory)
• Results announced by September 10, 2026
• Maximum 10 films selected

Short Film International Competition:

• Submission period: March 24 to May 31, 2026
• Free until March 31, 2026
• EUR 10 per entry from April 1 to May 17, 2026
• EUR 15 per entry from May 18 to May 31, 2026
• Films must be completed on or after January 1, 2025
• Maximum runtime: 30 minutes
• Open to all countries except Russian Federation and Belarus
• Up to 25 films selected
• Results announced by September 10, 2026

Short Film National Competition (Latvia):

• Films must be completed on or after January 1, 2025
• Maximum runtime: 30 minutes
• Up to 10 films selected
• Winner receives the Rooster award and EUR 1,000

Baltic Music Video Competition:

• Open to Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)
• Films must be completed on or after June 1, 2025
• Up to 15 music videos selected

Key Sections

• Feature Film Competition - up to 10 feature films from the Baltic Sea region, Nordic countries, and Ukraine, competing for the Golden Rooster and EUR 5,000
• Short Film International Competition - up to 25 short films from around the world (excluding Russia and Belarus)
• Short Film National Competition - up to 10 Latvian short films, competing for the Rooster award and EUR 1,000
• Baltic Music Video Competition - music videos from the Baltic states exploring the interplay between image and music
• RIGA IFF Forum - industry program including RIGA IFF Showcase (co-production market) and Short RIGA Test Screenings
• Special Programs - retrospectives, thematic programs, and curated selections from international cinema

What Filmmakers Should Know

RIGA IFF is a boutique festival with a focused competitive scope. The Feature Film Competition is regionally restricted to the Baltic Sea region, Nordic countries, and Ukraine, which means the festival is not a general international competition but rather a regional one with a specific geographic mandate. Filmmakers from outside these regions cannot submit to the Feature Film Competition but can submit short films to the International Competition.

The EUR 5,000 Feature Film prize is modest by international standards but significant within the Baltic and Nordic festival circuit. The festival's industry value lies more in the RIGA IFF Forum, which includes the Showcase co-production market (where projects compete for TV3 and BBPostHouse prizes) and Test Screenings for works in progress. These industry programs connect Baltic and Nordic producers with international financiers and distributors.

The festival's main venues are the Splendid Palace, a historic cinema in Riga, and Forum Cinemas. The 11-day format allows for a relaxed pace compared to larger European festivals. The award ceremony takes place on the second Saturday of the festival (October 24, 2026).

RIGA IFF is a nomination for the European Film Academy Award in the short film category, which adds European Film Academy visibility for short filmmakers who win or are nominated.

The festival's programming philosophy emphasizes auteur cinema and innovative cinematic language. The Feature Film Competition seeks "radically different schools, traditions, and artistic visions" from the Baltic Sea region. Filmmakers whose work is formally experimental or hybrid in form should consider RIGA IFF a strong fit.

Major Awards

Feature Film Competition:

• Golden Rooster - Best Feature Film, EUR 5,000 monetary prize from Nafta Films
• Jury Special Mention

Short Film National Competition (Latvia):

• Rooster Award - Best Latvian Short Film, EUR 1,000

Short Film International Competition:

• Rooster Award - Best International Short Film
• Nomination for the European Film Academy Award in the short film category

Baltic Music Video Competition:

• Rooster Award - Best Baltic Music Video

RIGA IFF Showcase (industry):

• TV3 Prize - for best project in the co-production market
• BBRental/BBPostHouse Prize - for best project in the co-production market

2025 Feature Film Competition winner:

• The Visitor (Svečias) - directed by Vytautas Katkus (Lithuania/Norway/Sweden)
• Jury Special Mention: Special Operation (Spetsialna operatsiia) - directed by Oleksiy Radynski (Ukraine/Lithuania)

Festival History

RIGA IFF launched in 2014 as a new annual festival for Riga, filling the gap left by the earlier "Arsenals" festival, which ended in 2012. The festival has grown over 12 editions into the most prominent film event in Latvia and a recognized meeting point for Baltic and Nordic industry professionals.

The earlier Arsenals festival, founded in 1986 by Augusts Sukuts, was a biennial event that ran until 2012. Arsenals was established during the late Soviet period as a platform for films that could not be seen through official Soviet distribution. The first Arsenals event in 1988 opened with Jean-Luc Godard's Passion, and the festival became known for its unconventional approach: no opening speeches, a lottery-based Grand Prix system, and a commitment to avant-garde and art house cinema. Arsenals was organized by the International Centre of Cinema in cooperation with the Riga City Council and the Ministry of Culture of Latvia.

RIGA IFF, while sharing Riga as its home, is organized by a different entity (the association "Rīgas Starptautiskais kino festivāls") and has a different structure. It is annual rather than biennial, has a formal jury system rather than a lottery, and focuses on the Baltic Sea region as its competitive scope. The festival's slogan, "SEE. SHIFT. BECOME.," reflects its programming emphasis on transformation and contemporary cinematic trends.

The festival's industry program, the RIGA IFF Forum, has expanded over the years to include the Showcase co-production market and Short RIGA Test Screenings, providing a platform for Baltic and Nordic producers to present works in progress to international industry professionals.

Past Winners (Feature Film Competition)

Recent RIGA IFF Feature Film Competition winners and where the films landed:

• 2024: *Songs of the Slow Burning Earth*, dir. Olha Zhurba. Won the Feature Film Competition. A Ukrainian drama about life during wartime.

• 2022: Godland (Huslut), dir. Hlynur Palmason. Won the Feature Film Competition. Distributed by Picturehouse in the UK and Janus Films in the US. An Icelandic-Danish film about a priest's journey to a remote Icelandic parish. Selected as Iceland's Oscar entry.

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

RIGA IFF has launched Baltic and international films. Selected premieres and their outcomes:

• Sierra (2021) - Winner of SHORT RIGA Test Screenings 2021. Selected for over 130 festivals. Won 43 awards. Shortlisted for the Oscars in 2022. Secured distribution (Square Eyes) and sales (New Europe Film Sales) deals during the event. An Estonian animated short that demonstrates RIGA IFF's career-launching power.
• Miisufy (2022) - Featured in SHORT RIGA Test Screenings 2022. Premiered at Sundance 2023. Continued to Clermont-Ferrand, AFI Fest, and Love and Anarchy. An Estonian animated short that went from RIGA IFF to the world's top festivals.
• Flow (2024) - The Academy Award-winning and Golden Globe-winning animated feature had its case study featured at RIGA IFF FORUM. A Latvian film that demonstrates the Baltic region's growing animation strength.

Submission Tips Specific to RIGA IFF

1. Feature competition is regionally restricted. The Feature Film Competition is open to films from the Baltic Sea region, Nordic countries, and Ukraine (minimum 60 minutes). If your film is not from this region, it is not eligible for the feature competition.
2. Short film competition is international. The Short Film International Competition is open to daring and bold short films from around the world. No genre restrictions. Documentaries, live-action, animation, and hybrid works are all welcome.
3. Free submission until April 1. After April 1, the fee is EUR 10 (until May 17) or EUR 15 (after May 17). This is one of the most generous fee structures of any European festival.
4. Latvian premiere required. Films cannot have been screened in Latvia before the festival. Exception: Latvian co-productions, where national premiere is preferred but not mandatory.
5. European Film Award nomination. RIGA IFF is one of 31 festivals whose jury nominates a candidate for the European Film Academy's European Short Film Award. This makes it a valuable festival for European short filmmakers seeking EFA recognition.

Industry Reputation Notes

• Boutique film industry meeting point of the Baltics. Founded in 2014, RIGA IFF is one of Latvia's premier cultural events. It is described as a compact, welcoming, and thoughtful meeting place for buyers and producers to discover new projects from the Baltics and broader Eastern European region.
• MEET THE FESTIVALS program. RIGA IFF brings together representatives from Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Quinzaine des Cinastes, Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, and Venice. This gives filmmakers direct access to programmers from the world's top festivals.
• RIGA IFF FORUM. The industry platform includes SHOWCASE (a co-financing market) and SHORT RIGA Test Screenings (a unique short-form film industry event in the Baltic region). The Test Screenings have launched films that went on to Sundance, Clermont-Ferrand, and Oscar shortlists.
• Comparison to Tallinn Black Nights. Tallinn (PÖFF) is the larger Baltic festival with FIAPF A-list status. RIGA IFF is more intimate and boutique, with a stronger focus on short form and co-production. Both are essential for Baltic cinema but serve different roles in the ecosystem.

See Also

To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding Baltic and Eastern European cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For distribution deals, see Distribution Deals Explained.